Codex Alimentarius

Have you heard about Codex Alimentarius?

It concerns an effort that started in 1961 with the scope to generate an internationally common statutory frame that would shield consumer health and would ensure fair food trade practices. The Codex is produced by an inter-governmental committee where over 170 countries participate and works under the framework of a programm common to the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

According to the most recent official informative edition of the Codex (you can find the full article here) the issues covered by the regulations are: commodity standards, food labeling, food hygiene, food safety risk assessment, sampling and analysis, inspection and certification procedures, animal food production, contaminants in foods (maximum levels, detection and prevention), food additives, maximum limits for pesticide residues and maximum limits for veterinary drugs in foods.

Considering the above one would expect Codex Alimentarius to be warmly welcomed, especially by the wordwide consumer protection organizations and those relevant to health and nutrition issues.

On the contrary it has given rise to intense and loud opposition especially in Great Britain and the USA where various organisations and natural product companies express their fears that the Codex is only the beginning of an attempt to facilitate the production and trade of genetically modified food and at the same time apply limitations not only to the cosumption of natural food supplements but also to the use of traditional healing practices used for centuries, in favour of pharmaceutical industry.

The subject Codex Alimentarius is certainly extremely complicated and an in depth research is required in order to reach a solid and clear coclusion. However if you are interested in further looking into it I suggest you start with two very interesting websites.

The first one is of course the official site of the Codex Alimentarius Committee and the second one belongs to a non profit organisation called Alliance for Natural Health which is working towards protecting and promoting natural approaches to healthcare. 

Especially interesting is also a relevant interview of the Science Director of the Alliance for Natural Health organisation from which I highlighted the following notion: "our wish is not to hide the truth from consumers in favor of trade profits and give them the chance to choose freely after objective informing what they cosider to be best for their and their family health".

My suggestions:

Those who are interested in food safety and/or international law will find very interesting the book The Codex Alimentarius Commission and Its Standards, that analyzes in depth the legal aspects and food standards relative to Codex Alimentarius.

The theory that behind Codex Alimentarius, the World Health Organization and the United Nations are hidden the enormous interests of big pharmaceutical companies and international banks is presented in the extremely interesting documentary Codex Alimentarius: The UN Plan to Eradicate Organic Farming and Destroy the Natural Health Industry.